Of Blood and Angels (The Two Moons of Rehnor, Book 3) (15 page)

I was home about ten minutes when the vid
started ringing.

“Katie.”  It was Shelly.  “I'm outside
your door and your security won't let me in.  Will you please tell them who I
am?”

“What security?”

“These blue people,” Shelly practically
shrieked. 

“Just a minute.”  I signed off and headed
to the front door through this very enormous and empty house; except it was not
entirely empty.  Someone was in the kitchen.  Leaving Shelly to stew for
another minute, I headed to the kitchen only to find Tilia and Siria cooking up
a storm.

“What the hell are you doing here?” I
gasped.

“Lunch, MaKani?”  Siria said, offering me
a platter of heaven knew what.

“No, no,” I muttered and left.  “This is
my kitchen.  This is my house.  I don't want these people here.”  I went to the
door and Shelly was standing there fuming with two Andorian men.

“This is my friend!” I snapped at them. 
“Come inside, Shelly.”

“Sorry, Madame.”  They bowed low as I
slammed the door.

“What the hell's going on?”  I leaned
against the wall and forced myself not to cry even though these damn hormones were
swirling my emotions.

“Let's go shopping,” Shelly cried all
perky. 

“When did the security get here?” I
asked.  “And why are there Andorians in my kitchen?”

“How should I know?” Shelly shrugged. 
“Let's try the Fashion Mall first.”

“I don't want to go shopping!”

“Well then, let's go to lunch.  I'll buy. 
It's your welcome home lunch.”

“Why are you doing this, Shelly?” I
demanded, sinking down on the nice upholstered bench I had by the front door. 
I felt like throwing up again even though I stopped throwing up a few weeks
ago.

“Your complexion looks terrible,” Shelly
clucked.  “You've been far too long in space.  You need some sunshine on your
face.  Come on now.”  She pulled me to my feet.  “You need some new 'at home'
clothes.  What size are you, a 4?  That uniform looks a bit tight
though."  She looked me up and down while I took deep breaths trying to
stave off the nausea.  “Then we'll go get a bite of lunch.  How does a big
juicy dill pickle sound?”  That did it.  I ran to the bathroom as fast as I
possibly could and heaved into the toilet.  Shelly followed me in and shook her
head.  “I thought so.  You're already showing.  It happens really quick on
petite things like us.  Boy or girl?”

“Boy,” I panted, gasping for a breath. 

“That is the most wonderful news,” Shelly
shook her head and swiped at her eyes.  “An absolute miracle.  I feel like he
is my own grandchild.  Hey you!”  She yelled at Tilia who was standing in the
doorway watching.  “Go get the Commander some soda crackers.  And some ginger.”

“I'm okay now.  I don't want anything.”  I
washed my face and then walked back out into the foyer.

“Of course you do.  Eat, you're eating for
two.  Drink milk.  How much milk have you had today?  None?  You there!  Get
the Commander a big glass of milk with those soda crackers and ginger. 
Proteins, honey.  Lots of proteins.  Gotta grow that little boy.  When you're
done eating, we'll go to the mall.”  She set her purse down and led me to the
kitchen table.

“I really don't want to go shopping,” I
pleaded.  "Senya just left and I haven't seen him since he yelled at me
two months ago and now he's on his way there and he doesn't even care."  I
broke down and sobbed all over the kitchen table.

"I know."  Shelly made a face
and sat down next to me.  "Thad called to tell me they were leaving and
that you just got home."

"He's such an arrogant, selfish
bastard," I seethed, wiping my tears. "Not Thad.  Thad's a genuinely
good guy.  I mean Senya."

"I know who you mean."  Shelly
patted my hand.  "For such a smart guy, he can sure be a big time fool. 
Thad's a little time fool.  Come on.  Get out of that uniform and let's go
spend your husband's money."

"I don't need anything including his
money," I protested weakly.

“Of course you do.  Another month and
nothing is going to fit and you're going to feel horrible.  Let's go get you
some cute stuff so you can be preggy hip.”

“Preggy hip?  Are you kidding?”

“You drive.  I don't want to have to fight
with your security again.”  She glared at me until I drank the milk and swallowed
a few crackers.  “Now go change your clothes and let's hit the shops.  We'll be
back in a couple hours.  Hey!  We could look at baby things.  You'll need a
crib and a bassinette and lots of little clothes for your little prince.”

A little prince?  I was going to lose him
too.  I was going to lose both of them because they belonged to Rehnor.  I
burst into tears.

“Oh good heavens, Katie, enough of this,”
Shelly snapped.  “Pregnancy is hell.  I used to cry at toilet paper adverts. 
The only way to combat it is to get your mind on something else.  That's why I
am taking you shopping!”

I don't know why but eventually I got
dressed in sweatpants that didn't snap, zip or button, and I let her drag me
down to the garage and we left in my Lexus.  As we took off over the house, I
noticed some construction going on just southwest of the building.  I swung the
speeder around to take a better look.  Several large houses were being built
along with a skybridge that went directly onto our second floor deck just outside
our offices and the library.

“Crew quarters?” I gasped.

Shelly looked too and for a moment her
forced animation turned serious.

“Not crew, honey.  They're called staff,
servants, and retainers.”

Chapter 12

Berkan

Akan was dead.  At first we weren't sure
how the news would be received here.  We locked down the campus and waited.  A
few radical Saintists protested outside the gates.  Someone lobbed a homemade
bomb at the hospital in Old Mishnah.  It sputtered and died in the doorway. 
That was it.  We opened up the campus again and went back to business. 

“Most of Akan's guard has rejoined the
ranks,” my father said when he and my mother joined us for dinner one night. 
Marik was sitting on his knee bouncing up and down and giggling hysterically. 
“They seemed quite relieved to do so.”

“Tell Berkie about the new regiment,” my
mother insisted, taking Marik and bouncing him herself.

“What new regiment?  Luci sit down, you
look exhausted,” I said.

Luci put dessert on the table, Marik's
favorite chocolate cake and he blew at the five candles on top.

“I am exhausted,” she snipped.  “But it's
my baby's birthday.”  She placed an enormous piece of cake in front of him and
my mother made a show of feeding him even though at four, he was certainly
capable of feeding himself.

“The captain of Akan's guards, Zigfed,
came to me last week and asked that we create a new regiment specifically for
Her Royal Highness, the MaKani.  Several of his men who were present during the
altercation at the spacebase, all of which were arrested and then released by
the Alliance, wish to join this regiment,” my father explained. 

“Do they know it was Katie who ransomed
them and arranged for their release?” I asked, taking my own serving of cake.

“He didn't, but I told him.  He was very
enthusiastic about it.  The men like her very much, their Warrior Princess. 
We're going to give them royal blue sashes and a badge with the MaKennah's
crest but it will have her name on it instead of his.”

“Ha,” I said, cutting myself another
slice.  “If they think it's going to be easier serving her than Senya, they'll
be wrong.  Sometimes I think she is just as crazy as he is.”

“I think it's nice,” Luci said.  “I love
royal blue.  I'm going to have all the court ladies wear royal blue too when I
am in charge of her household.”

“If you are in charge of her household,”
my mother added pointedly.

A few months later, Senya rang from one of
our Rozarian spaceplanes and told me he was changing the propulsion system.  I
was about eight weeks behind on every other system.  I hoped this change bought
me more time.  Nearly every day, I received a nasti-gram from Senya demanding
why we were running so late.  I had no explanation.  It was a complicated
system on a complex project and throwing more resources at it was not speeding
up anything.  Thad rang a moment after Senya had disconnected.

“Are you staying overnight?” I asked.  “Do
I need to have his apartment readied?  Must I inform my father and inform the
King?”

“He said we will stay at the Palace
tonight and tomorrow.  He wants an audience with the King late tomorrow or
early the next day,” Thad replied.  "But I think Dickon already knows
this."

“Very good, Thad,” I sighed.  “Even you
can be a courtier.”

Thad thought this was funny.  “Yep.  Love
that Palace Hotel.  Tell them to get that Chocolate Torte thing ready too.  Oh
and Berk?  I just heard the news from my mom.  Katie's going to have a
boy."

"She's pregnant?  How is that even
possible?" I gasped.

“Uh… blood meal fertilizer?" Thad
laughed.  "Works great on tomato plants too."

I rang Luci and told her not to expect me
for dinner.  Frankly, I would probably be at the Palace for the next few days
so she shouldn’t expect me at all.  Luci was cranky.  She was pregnant with our
second and not enjoying it.

“Stay as long as you want,” she snipped. 
“Don't bother coming home to help me at all.  I'm sure you don't care to see
your first born son either.”

“Senya is coming in,” I said wearily.

“Great.  The two of you can have a raucous
time getting drunk and blowing up stuff then.  Just don't tell me about it if
he decides to kill somebody.”

“He's coming in for SdK business,” I tried
to explain, just as another call started to buzz.  “I've got to go.  I'll ring
you as soon as I can.  Yes?”

“Berk?”  It was my father. 

"Dad?"  I tossed a couple of
headache pills into my mouth.  It was just starting to pound at my temples and
the back of my neck and with Senya and Thad arriving soon, I could guarantee it
would be a pulsing migraine before long.  The door to my office opened and Leesa,
our CFO came in for our weekly budget meeting.  I waved for her to sit and
continued my conversation with my father.

"Did you get my text about the
Supreme Court?" he said.

"That it no longer exists?" I
replied.  "So what.  I've got my own problems.  Senya's killing me.”

"Not literally," Loman snapped. 
"He did nearly kill the Chief Justice though.  Do you know what is going
on with him?  He's been very difficult lately.”

“Well, he hasn't been feeling too well and
he's working around the clock, so I imagine he is a bit tired.  We all
are."

“Is he ill?”  My father asked. 
"Seizures?"

“Yes, actually,” I replied, thinking
rather that I was the one who was ill and needed to be hospitalized or at the
very least, go on vacation.  “Thad told me Senya had a seizure last week and
caused all sorts of havoc.  He's very depressed too.  I imagine having to take
all this on right now is rather overwhelming.  Katie's been away in space and
they were fighting about the payoff to the Alliance.  Now with the baby coming,
and your demands and our demands, it may all be just too much for even Senya. 
He and Thad are en route here right now so I will try to talk to him tomorrow
and see if I can calm him down a bit.”

“Do that, Berkan,” my father ordered. 
“Why don't you plan on attending Lord Dickon's audiences with him as well?  You
are to be his Chief of Staff.  It's time you got involved.  And how are my
grandson and Luci doing?”

“Fine Dad.  Overstressed and difficult
too, but in general, fine.”

“Well, she'll be better after the baby
comes,” Dad said and then paused.  “Did you just say that Senya is overwhelmed
by the baby coming and our demands and your demands?”

“Oh,” I coughed, having realized what news
I had let slip.  “That is what I did say, didn't I.”

“Berkan?”  My father narrowed his eyes. 
“Are they to have a child?”

“Well actually, yes.  I'm told it is a
boy.”

“Are you absolutely certain?”  Now my
father's eyes grew wide.

“Thad's mother, Dr. Mattson was just with
Katie,” I reported and as if on cue, my migraine started to pound full bore. 
“She said Katie is a little more than three months along.”

“Well,” my father exclaimed and scratched
his chin.  “This is indeed very exciting news.”

“Indeed,” I replied though less
exuberantly than he.

“Wow,” said Leesa, who I had forgotten was
still in my office.

Within minutes, even before Senya and Thad
arrived, the whole planet knew.

Senya and Thad arrived in the evening. 
Our leadership team assembled around the large conference table in our best
conference room, eating pizzas that I had ordered in.  As soon as Senya strode
in though, all conversation and all pizzas were dropped.  Thad was dressed in a
suit and tie but Senya was wearing only jeans and a torn t-shirt.  He looked
rather rough, unshaven and unkempt.  His hair was inordinately long and
cascaded in curls down his back.  Among ourselves, we described it as if he had
been sleeping in a tree for the last few days, which he may have very well been
doing, if he had slept at all.

“Congratulations, Sir,” I said as he
walked right past me.

“The news is out already?  Where's the
white board?”

“Right here.”  I illuminated the white
board and found him the stylus.  “How is she feeling?”

“Abandoned, I'm sure,” he smirked, already
scratching some formulas.  “And your wife?”

“Abandoned too,” I chuckled.  “Our
children will be the same age.  I hope they will be friends.”

“Ay yah,” he stopped his scratching for a
moment and looked away. 

“My father suggested I start attending
your meetings with the Lord Chamberlain.”

“Ay yah,” he said again distractedly,
while filling up the entire white board with calculations.

I sat down in my chair and threw two more
headache pills into my mouth.  The back of my neck was throbbing, sending shock
waves throughout my skull.

“What I have written here is the process
by which we will combust fermium,” Senya announced to the board room without
preamble.  Typical of him, he dived straight into the topic and left as soon as
the discussion was settled without bothering for pleasantries or wasted time on
irrelevant subjects. 

“What exactly is fermium, Sir?” someone
asked and the Chief of Engineering, Franks proceeded to explain that it was a
base metal which was found in the same soft rocks from which we extracted
coal.  Up until now, fermium was discarded as there was no apparent use for it.

“There is energy inside it, however,”
Senya explained.  “Through the process I have outlined here, that energy can be
tapped, liquefied, fused and gasified again hundreds of thousands of times,
generating more and more energy.”  He pointed at various figures on the white
board which were all a blur to me.

“And the exhaust, Sir?”

“We will use off-gas filtering such that
the only by-product generated will be water,” Senya replied.  He pointed on the
board at the chemical equation resulting in this.

“And how do you know this energy exists,
Sir,” the Chief Engineer inquired.  “If it has up until now been undiscovered?”

“I have discovered it,” Senya replied
simply.

“Where, Sir?”

“On the Child Moon.  I spent a fair bit of
time there and am quite familiar with the soft rock and sediment that we
extracted for coal and shale.”  Senya sat down next to me.  I felt his cool
hand on the back of my neck and it eased the throbbing.

“But how did you discover the energy in
the fermium, Sir?” someone asked.

“I can sense energy in my hands that you
cannot,” Senya replied, massaging my neck.  “For instance, there is an abnormal
energy here in M'lord Berkan's neck but we shall get to that in a moment.  I
have written down here the basic process of converting the fermium for you.  I
want you to take this and turn it into the energy source for our propulsion
systems.  We do not have time to spare as we are already significantly behind
schedule.  Leesa will report your progress to me at the end of this week.”

“This sounds like a tremendous
development, Your Royal Highness,” Leesa commented.

“It is indeed,” Senya responded, turning
to her and studying her for a moment.

She looked back at him with surprising
boldness.  “I recall there was an abundance of apples on the Child Moon too,”
she said coyly.  “Will we be using those as well, Sir?”

Senya raised his eyebrows.  He frowned at
her.

“Thank you, Leesa,” I stated and then
quietly spoke to Senya.  “Shouldn't I be managing this, Sir?”  Now, he turned
to me for a moment and looked at me curiously.

“No, Berk,” he replied, narrowing his eyes
and resuming the massage behind my ears.  I felt a relief I hadn’t felt in the
weeks I suffered from both nagging and piercing headaches.

“Thad, ring over to the medical centre,”
Senya ordered.  “Berk needs an OR and a room for a few days.  As I have said,
you've got an abnormality here.  I suspect it's a bit of aneurysm.”  He did
circles with his thumb at the base of my skull. 

“A bit?” I squawked.

“Well, a little more than a bit,” he
replied.  “Probably a fucking big one.  You're damn lucky it didn't blow. 
We'll just snip it right off.”

“Will you do it, Senya?” I asked not sure
if I should laugh or cry.  In truth, I was scared out of my wits.  It wasn’t
every day one discovered your headaches were caused by a brain aneurysm.

“We've got competent people here, Berk. 
You know that.”

“Please?”  I whispered and begged.

“Alright, sure,” he agreed.  “I'll be
happy to cut open your head.  I’ve always wanted to do it and I haven't gotten
anything else important to tend to right now other than this whole fucking
planet.  Where is Kinar?”

“Right here, Sir!”  Kinar called from the
back where he had taken a seat next to Thad.

“Ring over to the Lord Chamberlain and
tell him, I will meet with him on Friday instead.  I should like an audience
with His Majesty on Saturday.  Also ring Captain Loman and tell him, I shall be
staying four or five nights now.”